Irish based VR/AR software firm, VR Education, has officially launched their VR Titanic experience. The immersive educational interactive story and game transports users back in time to April 15th, 1912; the night the RMS Titanic sank in the North Atlantic Ocean during its maiden voyage. This project was over two years in the making and has over 6 hours of gameplay, according to VR Education.
The interactive story has two different experiences. The first allows the user to “witness the sinking of RMS Titanic from the eyes of a survivor. Follow the Matthew family and their attempt to board the limited number of lifeboats; and join survivors on-board Lifeboat 6 as RMS Titanic tragically sinks in the North Atlantic. An historically accurate recreation of this tragic event, based on eyewitness testimony and substantial research.”
The second option available is a Titanic shipwreck exploration mode. As the user; you “take on the role of Dr. Ethan Lynch, Associate Professor of Maritime Archaeology at the fictional University of Nova Scotia. With funding from a mysterious investor, Dr. Lynch and his PhD candidate Jean Robinson have set out aboard a research vessel to dive the wreck of RMS Titanic and discover treasures which have remained submerged for a century.”
This project has been extensively researched to make it as historically accurate as possible. David Whelan, CEO of VR Education, said: “As well as creating a realistic VR experience that tells the story of the tragedy in a compelling way, the game will also serve as a valuable resource for discovering more about the stricken ship through a realistic exploration experience, using detailed maps and 3D models of the historic wreck site.” Users can learn about the construction, interiors and guests on-board the Titanic during the immersive experience.There is also audio footage from survivors of the tragedy giving their first hand accounts of what happened during the early hours of April 15th, 1912.
Titanic VR is available for HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality.